Using the Procreate App and and iPad to Help with Drawing Accuracy – Using a portrait as the example. 

(I realize this looks daunting - but I've tried not to assume anything and covered all the bases I could think of.)

  1. Make sure your reference photo is on your iPad.

  2. Download the Procreate App to your iPad.

  3. Begin drawing your portrait using your photo on your iPad as your reference

    or use a printed photo or a photo on your computer to draw from. It will be easier to have a reference source other than the picture on your iPad – so you don’t have to keep switching back and forth from your photos album to your Procreate App.

  4. Begin your drawing with a definite reference point – I usually start with the eyes.

  5. After drawing the eyes and maybe a mark for the bottom of the nose...

  6. Open the Procreate App. The Gallery of pictures that have been created in

    Procreate will appear on the iPad.

  7. Click on the plus sign in the upper right corner.

  8. In the CREATE dropdown, choose Screen Size. (It doesn’t matter if you are in

    landscape or portrait mode)

  9. Now click the wrench in the menu bar to reveal the ACTIONS menu.

  10. Make sure “Insert” is highlighted in the ACTIONS menu.

  11. Click Import image.

  12. Click Photos and navigate to your reference photo on your iPad.

  13. Enlarge the photo to a comfortable size. If it’s a portrait – try to make it fill

    the screen as much as possible.

  14. Now create a new layer for your drawing by clicking the layers icon on the

    menu bar. (It looks like two pieces of paper)

  15. In the LAYERS window, click on the plus sign in the upper right corner. This

    will create a new layer on top of your reference photo.

  16. Now click the WRENCH in the menu bar again to get the ACTIONS menu. This

    time, click Take a photo.

  17. Take a photo of your drawing so far...make sure you are taking the photo

    looking straight on at your drawing, not at an angle. It will help to line up the

    side of the paper with the side of your ipad. (in the viewer)

  18. Click Use Photo at the bottom right of the screen or retake it (left side of

    screen)

  19. The new layer will be on top of your reference photo. To make this layer

    more transparent...

  20. ...Click on the layers tab, then select the layer to make transparent. Click the “N” on that layer and move the slider that appears to your desired opacity.

  21. Now CLICK THE TRANSFORM TOOL (LOOKS LIKE AN ARROW). DON’T

    FORGET THIS STEP OR YOU WON’T BE MOVING YOUR DRAWING AROUND –

    YOU’LL BE MOVING THE ENTIRE PROJECT AROUND.

  22. Use your fingers to adjust the drawing layer so that the eyes of your

    drawing are directly on top of the eyes of the reference photo (I like to start with the eyes…but that’s just me) - or move the drawing layer to line up other features (other than the eyes) so that you have a starting point for making changes.

  23. Now you can see if you have to make some adjustments to your drawing.

  24. If your reference source is printed or on another device (like your computer),

    you can use your procreate sketch/reference photo comparison to look at as

    you make your adjustments.

  25. When you’ve made your drawing corrections, add another feature, like the

    mouth and possibly some marks to indicate the sides of the face or chin.

  26. Now go back to your Procreate App (make sure you left it open) and turn off

    the last drawing layer by clicking on the Layers icon and touching the white

    dot next to the drawing layer.

  27. Now add a layer for your new drawing by clicking the plus sign in the Layers

    window.

  28. Repeat steps 16 – 24 to see where you need to make adjustments to your

    drawing.

  29. Continue drawing and correcting as needed by bringing your new sketch into

    Procreate to compare.